Educator perspectives on non-technical, discipline-independent skill acquisition: An international, qualitative study.

Gross anatomy education utilizing body donors and human specimens assists the acquisition of non-traditional, discipline-independent skills (NTDIS) such as teamwork, communication, and leadership. Alterations to anatomy curricula, such as those resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, likely impact NTDIS acquisition, yet how this manifests is unclear. This study, therefore, explored anatomy educator perspectives on NTDIS acquisition as a response to changes in teaching delivery. Gross anatomy educators across different countries were recruited and took part in one-on-one, semi-structured interviews that were audio recorded and transcribed. Data were analyzed using the framework method. Basic statistical analyses were performed on demographic and categorical data. Fifteen educators from five continents were interviewed (average length 32.5 min, range 17-51 min). Educator experience ranged from 0-4 years (n = 3) to 20+ years (n = 7). Most taught using dissection (n = 14) with prosection use (n = 13) also common. Themes relating to NTDIS included expected content (respect for donors, teamwork, communication skills, humanistic values), assessable content, assessment challenges, and impact of curriculum changes; NTDIS unique to anatomy education included cultural, ethical, and social considerations around dead bodies, including boundaries, and social norms. Informed by curriculum alterations during the COVID-19 pandemic, this first empirical study of anatomy educator perspectives on NTDIS highlights the potentially adverse educational impacts of decreased interaction with body donors and human specimens on NTDIS acquisition and difficulties with NTDIS assessment. Findings support gross anatomy education as unique in providing NTDIS that cannot easily be replicated elsewhere. Recommendations around NTDIS-specific educator competencies and promoting NTDIS are provided.

Serving Learners and Educators Worldwide: The Michigan Histology Website as an Example for a Free Anatomical Resource.

With anatomical education becoming a global endeavor, free online resources offered via the internet or other electronic venues are of increasing importance for teaching and learning communities worldwide. Students and instructors from developing countries, often limited in access to modern instructional resources by infrastructural and financial constraints, are frequent users of such online learning tools. During the recent Covid-19 pandemic when all academic institutions were forced to quickly switch to a non-contact mode of teaching, free online instructional resources were often essential for continuing the educational mission. However, there are a number of obstacles and issues that need to be considered when creating and offering such learning resources. These include the type, quality, and completeness of the content, their educational purpose, access to technical and financial resources, copyright and ethical issues, and more. Educators, who plan to generate and maintain free online resources, should also be aware that such projects usually require a considerable long-term time commitment. In this paper, these issues are discussed using the Michigan Histology website as an example. The discussion also addresses how e-learning resources like the Michigan Histology website supported online learning during the recent Covid-19 pandemic.

Perspectives of online anatomy teachers: A neglected study population struggles with the invisible student.

Online teachers are an under-researched population, but their perspectives are crucial to the successful implementation of online education. A fully online section of an established face-to-face (F2F) two-semester undergraduate anatomy course with a prosection laboratory commenced in 2012 at The University of Western Ontario, Canada. Professors' lectures for F2F students were broadcast in live and archived format to online students using Blackboard Collaborate (BBC) video conferencing software. Teaching assistants (TAs) delivered online laboratories using BBC and three-dimensional (3D) anatomical computer models. This study explored the common experiences and issues faced by the course teachers from 2012 to 2014. Transcripts from open-ended, individual interviews with professors (n = 4) and TAs (n = 5) were coded and analyzed thematically. The teachers' concern for their inability to see the students during sessions to assess class engagement and their teaching effectiveness, and to develop social relationships, was the main finding. However, video conferencing software and email were sufficient communication methods for the students' questions and the teachers' answers. The TAs noted usability challenges and anatomical inaccuracies in the 3D models compared to cadavers. Due to limitations of BBC's screen sharing function, live manipulation for the 3D computer models was not possible; however, the TAs found pedagogical value in using screen captures of the models for drawing activities with the students. Overall, preparation time for teaching online was longer than for F2F. The study's findings provide science educators with issues to consider when preparing for online teaching and recommendations to optimize the teaching experience.

Practical anatomy online learning among COVID-19 pandemic era: perceptions of 1 st -year MBBS students

Introduction: With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital learning has been implemented in medical colleges across India to continue the ongoing medical education. Anatomy is the basis of medical science and is best learned through offline classes that allow students to experience the texture of structures and handling of specimens. During this pandemic period, cadaveric dissection was not used to study anatomy. The aim of this study was to learn about students' attitudes regarding virtual teaching and learning in anatomy, as well as the problems they may confront. Material(s) and Method(s): A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of anatomy among the 50 1 st -year MBBS students of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rajkot in April 2021. Google Forms were used to obtain informed consent from students. Prevalidated questionnaires were given online to the students and responses were noted and descriptive statistical data was derived from the analysis. Result(s): About 37 (74%) respondents found traditional classes are better than online teaching. Majority preferred to attend anatomy practicals offline with safety precautions. About 17 (34%) showed interest in prerecorded videos. About 35 (60%) students faced social isolation as an impact of online learning. Technical issues and distractions were the key problems faced while learning anatomy online. Conclusion(s): Prerecorded videos of the practicals are helpful in teaching anatomy practicals, and can be used in future to ensure an unbroken, continuous, and effective delivery of medical education.Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.

Impact of modified teaching strategies used in a gross anatomy course on the academic performance of dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Modified teaching strategies (MTS), asynchronous online teaching and smaller dissection groups, were applied to a gross anatomy course for dental students in the National Taiwan University in April 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the effects and perceptions of MTS on dental students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Scores for anatomy examinations for 2018-2019 (without MTS) and 2019-2020 (with MTS) cohorts were compared to explore the effect on academic performance. Moreover, questionnaire from the 2019-2020 cohort was analysed to determine dental students' perceptions about MTS. RESULTS: The lecture performance in the final examination of the second semester for the 2019-2020 cohort was significantly higher than that of the first semester (pre-COVID-19) and that for the 2018-2019 cohort. However, the laboratory performance in the midterm examination of the second semester for the 2019-2020 cohort was significantly lower than that for the 2018-2019 cohort and showed no difference in the final examination of the first semester. The questionnaires revealed that the majority of students displayed positive attitudes towards MTS and agreed with the importance of peer discussion during laboratory dissection. CONCLUSIONS: Asynchronous online learning for anatomy lecture may be beneficial for dental students; however, a smaller dissection group accompanied by reduced peer discussion may temporarily exert negative effects on their laboratory performance at the beginning of the application. Furthermore, more dental students exhibited positive perceptions towards smaller dissection groups. These findings could illuminate the learning condition of dental students in anatomy education.

Online anatomy education during the Covid-19 pandemic: Opinions of medical, speech therapy, and BSc Anatomy students.

With the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, it was difficult to predict if the "cadaveric-based (golden) standard" of teaching anatomy would be possible in the unforeseeable future. This forced traditional anatomical teaching and learning practices to be transitioned to remote online platforms. This study explored the opinions of anatomy students (n = 51), on their online learning experience of anatomy during the Covid-19 pandemic. A mixed methods approach using a descriptive, exploratory study design was conducted, by use of an online survey. The survey consisted of a six-point Likert scale and was assembled into four sub-categories. Likert scale options ranged from; strongly disagree, to strongly agree, and not applicable. Results obtained seem to tally with expectations, indicating an adequate theoretical course component with room to improve practical online teaching. Most participants had a positive perception of the theoretical course content, duration, and platforms of communication. Virtual classes were simple to navigate with few technical difficulties experienced by the participants. Students also noted having access to sufficient study material, videos, and additional online material. Overall, more than half of all participants reported adapting well to the remote learning environment, however, the greatest challenge experienced highlighted a sense of deprivation from the lack of cadaver exposure and hands-on instruction. This research highlighted the effects of the pandemic on the modality of anatomy education and how it affected students. Although anatomy is multi-modal, it can be concluded that it is possible to achieve academic success by using online learning methods.

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in Anatomy Education During COVID-19 Pandemic.

The pandemic of COVID-19 has radically changed the anatomy education approaches. This happens because medical students, due to the necessity of remote education, didn't have access to cadavers, which was the principal method of dissection training. Circumstances like these encouraged the health care providers to innovate new teaching methods with the help of virtual and augmented reality to outdistance the restrictions. This review aims to examine the pioneer technological and educational tools and their usage in the future. Detailed research was performed via the PubMed database using the following keywords "Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Anatomy Education, and COVID-19". No further filters were used. All the existing evidence suggests that the vast majority was negatively affected by the COVID-19 era. Using new technological methods in anatomy training could not effectively replace the absence of the traditionally used teaching methods like dissection, prosection, and lectures by physical presence. Although the new digital anatomy teaching approaches seem to be very promising, it is not clear if they can fully replace the traditional anatomy education methods.

A Large-Scale, Multiplayer Virtual Reality Deployment: A Novel Approach to Distance Education in Human Anatomy.

The arrival of COVID-19 restrictions and the increasing demand of online instruction options posed challenges to education communities worldwide, especially in human anatomy. In response, Colorado State University developed and deployed an 8-week-long large-scale virtual reality (VR) course to supplement online human anatomy instruction. Students (n = 75) received a VR-capable laptop and head-mounted display and participated in weekly synchronous group laboratory sessions with instructors. The software enabled students to remotely collaborate in a common virtual space to work with human anatomy using an artist-rendered cadaver. Qualitative data were collected on student engagement, confidence, and reactions to the new technology. Quantitative data assessed student knowledge acquisition and retention of anatomical spatial relationships. Results indicated that students performed better in the online course (mean = 82.27%) when compared to previous in-person laboratories (mean = 80.08%). The utilization of VR promoted student engagement and increased opportunities for student interaction with teaching assistants, peers, and course content. Notably, students reported benefits that focused on unique aspects of their virtual learning environment, including the ability to infinitely scale the cadaver and walk inside and around anatomical structures. Results suggested that using VR was equivalent to 2D methods in student learning and retention of anatomical relationships. Overall, the virtual classroom maintained the rigor of traditional gross anatomy laboratories without negatively impacting student examination scores and provided a high level of accessibility, without compromising learner engagement. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-023-01751-w.

Piloting an interprofessional virtual cadaveric dissection course: Responding to COVID-19.

Interprofessional learning improves students' clinical and interprofessional competencies. COVID-19 prevented delivering in-person education and motivated the development of a virtual interprofessional cadaveric dissection (ICD) course. This study reports on the effects of a virtual ICD course compared to a previously delivered in-person course, on students' readiness for, and perceptions about, interprofessional learning. Students attending the ICD course in-person (2019-2020) or virtually (2020-2021) completed the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and the Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS). Students in the virtual course also provided written feedback. Thirty-two (24 women; Median: 24 [Q1-Q3: 22-25] years) and 23 students (18 women; 22 [21-23] years) attended the in-person and virtual courses, respectively. In the virtual cohort, the RIPLS total score (82 [76-87] vs. 85 [78-90]; p = 0.034) and the roles and responsibilities sub-score (11 [9-12] vs. 12 [11-13]; p = 0.001) improved significantly. In the in-person cohort, the roles and responsibilities sub-score improved significantly (12 [10-14] vs. 13 [11-14]; p = 0.017). No significant differences were observed between cohorts (p < 0.05). Themes identified in the qualitative analysis were advantages and positive experiences, competencies acquired, disadvantages and challenges, and preferences and suggestions. In-person and virtual ICD courses seem to have similar effects on students' interprofessional learning. However, students reported preferring the in-person setting for learning anatomy-dissection skills.

A survey-based research of medical faculty students' experiences on anatomy education during the Covid-19 pandemic process.

PURPOSE: In this study, the purpose was to uncover the views of medical students about online anatomy education adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic period. It was also aimed to determine whether medical school students found online education suitable for anatomy lectures and which materials they desired to use during teaching anatomy practice lectures in this process. METHODS: A survey form that was prepared with the Google Survey application was administered to the Medical Faculty Term 1 and 2 students who received anatomy courses at Istanbul Yeni Yüzyil University in the spring semester of the 2019-2020 academic year. RESULTS: A total of 180 students, 53.89% of whom were 1st graders and 46.11% 2nd graders participated in the study, and 43.89% of the students stated that they found online education suitable for anatomy theoretical courses, and 12.78% for anatomy practice courses. Also, 43.75% of Term 1 and 41.77% of Term 2 students stated that the pandemic negatively affected the teaching of anatomy theoretical courses. It was found that students considered that anatomy practice courses were more affected by the pandemic before and during the pandemic (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study uncovered that the pandemic process negatively affected anatomy education and students made more use of face-to-face education. We believe that the results obtained in the study will shed light on the views of anatomists on the teaching of anatomy in the online education process.

Face painting as an anatomical learning tool based on individual ultrasonographic examination.

Considering the shift to online education during the COVID-19 pandemic, new and easily accessible educational videos and content on clinical anatomy are necessary. This study utilized numerous references and data on the anatomy of Asian facial muscles and blood vessels to accurately depict human anatomy through face painting. It aimed to provide clinicians accurate educational video content on anatomy to help prevent possible complications during noninvasive facial and surgical procedures. A 26-year-old Korean-Chinese male volunteer was used as a face painting model. The location of the blood vessels of the face was confirmed through ultrasonography images using a real-time two-dimensional B-mode. The model's face was painted by an artist majoring in anatomy. To reveal most anatomical structures on both sides of the face, the left side showed the structures observed when the skin and superficial fat layer are removed, and the right side revealed the deeper layer structures that can be seen when some muscles are cut. Fifteen superficial and deep muscles important in esthetic procedures were meticulously painted on the face. The face painting took a total of 6 h, and the video was edited to 5 min. This study merged the advantages of 2D and 3D by painting directly on the skin surface of a living model. Thus, it can provide more dynamic surface anatomy data. These contents inform clinicians about 3D anatomic location, which can help avoid complications when performing clinical procedures on the face.

Blended peer-assisted learning using a video conference system for anatomy education: student learners' and student facilitators' perspectives

Anatomy education that traditionally relies on face-to-face delivery is disrupted by the outbreak of COVID-19. Due to suspension of face-to-face instruction in schools, our institution adopted a video conferencing system with peer-assisted learning (VCS-PAL). The study objectives are to: 1) report our institutional experience in adopting blended VCS-PAL in anatomy teaching;2) describe perceptions towards this pedagogy during the pandemic among student facilitators and learners. In the mixed-method educational research, 139 year-2 biomedical engineering and pharmacy students were surveyed regarding their VCS-PAL learning experience. A total of 85 returned the survey, with a response rate of 60.7% (85/139). Most students found the live demonstration of plastinated specimens helpful in learning anatomy (82%). The general feedback from both student learners and student facilitators are positive. The blended VCS-PAL approach in anatomy education provides an excellent adjustment opportunity amidst the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Achievement of learning outcomes in non-traditional (online) versus traditional (face-to-face) anatomy teaching in medical schools: A mixed method systematic review.

In recent years, the logistical challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic have prompted medical educators teaching gross anatomy to explore an expanded use of online instructional modalities. There is concern that this shift to online anatomy education in medical schools could affect long-term learning outcomes for future healthcare providers. In this systematic review, the educational effectiveness of online anatomy teaching is compared with traditional ("face-to-face") teaching methods, specifically in terms of students' academic performance and satisfaction. A search of four databases identified and screened 162 studies. Subsequently, 31 studies were analyzed, including both (a) teaching outcome measures (test scores) and (b) student satisfaction ratings. Authors chose studies, extracted data, assessed quality and examined risk of bias. Nineteen studies compared students' academic performances between online and face-to-face teaching methods. Twenty-six studies measured students' levels of satisfaction in both teaching methods. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses of the data revealed comparable academic performances with no statistical difference between the two teaching methods, but a higher level of satisfaction with face-to-face teaching. The findings confirm that students can learn from online teaching but are more satisfied with face-to-face teaching. The authors conclude that online teaching cannot replace traditional teaching and there is no preference for one type of modality over the other. Therefore, a multi-modal learning approach combining online with face-to-face educational modalities for medical students could be efficient and successful.

Fostering uncertainty tolerance in anatomy education: Lessons learned from how humanities, arts and social science (HASS) educators develop learners' uncertainty tolerance.

Uncertainty tolerance, individuals' perceptions/responses to uncertain stimuli, is increasingly recognized as critical to effective healthcare practice. While the Covid-19 pandemic generated collective uncertainty, healthcare-related uncertainty is omnipresent. Correspondingly, there is increasing focus on uncertainty tolerance as a health professional graduate "competency," and a concomitant interest in identifying pedagogy fostering learners' uncertainty tolerance. Despite these calls, practical guidelines for educators are lacking. There is some initial evidence that anatomy education can foster medical students' uncertainty tolerance (e.g., anatomical variation and dissection novelty), however, there remains a knowledge gap regarding robust curriculum-wide uncertainty tolerance teaching strategies. Drawing upon humanities, arts and social sciences (HASS) educators' established uncertainty tolerance pedagogies, this study sought to learn from HASS academics' experiences with, and teaching practices related to, uncertainty pedagogy using a qualitative, exploratory study design. Framework analysis was undertaken using an abductive approach, wherein researchers oscillate between inductive and deductive coding (comparing to the uncertainty tolerance conceptual model). During this analysis, the authors analyzed ~386 min of data from purposively sampled HASS academics' (n = 14) discussions to address the following research questions: (1) What teaching practices do HASS academics' perceive as impacting learners' uncertainty tolerance, and (2) How do HASS academics execute these teaching practices? The results extend current understanding of the moderating effects of education on uncertainty tolerance and supports prior findings that the anatomy learning environment is ripe for supporting learner uncertainty tolerance development. This study adds to growing literature on the powerful moderating effect education has on uncertainty tolerance and proposes translation of HASS uncertainty tolerance teaching practices to enhance anatomy education.

Students' performance in teaching neuroanatomy using traditional and technology-based methods.

The use of digital teaching resources became widespread and very helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic as an alternative to a traditional course with cadavers. Technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), 3D models, video lectures and other online resources enable three-dimensional visualization of the anatomical structures and allow students to learn more interactively. The aim of this study was to compare students' performance in the traditional anatomical courses in teaching neuroanatomy and technology-based learning methods such as video lectures, 3D models and 3D printed specimens. Four groups of first-year students of Veterinary Faculty established for the practical classes during the academic year 2021/2022 took part in this research. The total number of students participating in this research was 72. Each group attended separately the theoretical lecture with a demonstration based on a different technique; the control group used formalized specimens, while the three experimental groups used video lectures, 3D models and 3D printed specimens, respectively. Subsequently, all groups completed the same questionnaire testing their short-term memory of the neuroanatomical structures. After four weeks students were tested for their long-term memory of the neuroanatomy lecture with the follow-up test containing an identical list of questions. The test scores using video lectures and 3D printed models were significantly higher compared with the group that learned in the traditional way. This study suggests that alternative approaches such as technology-based digital methods can facilitate memorization of anatomical terms and structures in a more interactive and sensory engaging way of learning.

Feedback from medical student on an interactive online anatomy practical using the Google Jamboard platform.

Objective: The disruption caused by COVID-19 in anatomy education has forced the transition of in-person to online learning. Despite the increasing use of technology-enhanced tools in online classes, anatomy lecturers face significant difficulty in making classes interactive. Hence, this study explored the feasibility of a web-based virtual whiteboard, Google Jamboard (GJ) for two online anatomy practical classes. Methods: This was a qualitative phenomenology study conducted on 116 second-year medical students from two Malaysian public universities via teleconferencing applications that allowed synchronous small-group activities. Each group was given a different link to 10 GJ slides that featured plain anatomy diagrams and instructions for the group task. Upon completion of the tasks, the students presented their tasks to the whole class. An online feedback form was distributed at the end of the practical session to explore the experience of the students when using the tool. Results: Thematic analysis of student responses generated seven themes that reflected perceived learning benefits, challenges faced by the students, and suggestions for future improvement. Conclusions: These findings suggest that GJ is a useful tool for promoting collaborative learning in virtual anatomy education. Nevertheless, the impact of this tool on the attainment of learning outcomes remains unknown. Hence, more widescale research is needed to confirm our findings.

Practical anatomy online learning among COVID-19 pandemic era: perceptions of 1st-year MBBS students

Introduction: With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital learning has been implemented in medical colleges across India to continue the ongoing medical education. Anatomy is the basis of medical science and is best learned through offline classes that allow students to experience the texture of structures and handling of specimens. During this pandemic period, cadaveric dissection was not used to study anatomy. The aim of this study was to learn about students' attitudes regarding virtual teaching and learning in anatomy, as well as the problems they may confront. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of anatomy among the 50 1st-year MBBS students of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rajkot in April 2021. Google Forms were used to obtain informed consent from students. Prevalidated questionnaires were given online to the students and responses were noted and descriptive statistical data was derived from the analysis. Results: About 37 (74%) respondents found traditional classes are better than online teaching. Majority preferred to attend anatomy practicals offline with safety precautions. About 17 (34%) showed interest in prerecorded videos. About 35 (60%) students faced social isolation as an impact of online learning. Technical issues and distractions were the key problems faced while learning anatomy online. Conclusion: Prerecorded videos of the practicals are helpful in teaching anatomy practicals, and can be used in future to ensure an unbroken, continuous, and effective delivery of medical education.

Face-to-face versus online-based lectures: A COVID-19 induced study on assessments

IntroductionThere is much debate regarding the impact of COVID-induced lockdown on the standard of assessments, mainly since students were assessed at home via an online assessment platform. Regular orthodox lectures and assessments were carried out during the first term, while the strictly enforced South African COVID lockdown warranted that 2nd term lectures and assessments were based online. This created the fortunate control conditions to statistically compare orthodox face-to-face with online-home-based assessments. MethodsWe compared the assessments of a cohort of second-year students studying physiology and anatomy during 2019 and 2020: Orthodox face-to-face teaching and assessments (2019) were compared to online teaching and their analogous online assessments (2020) during the COVID-19-induced lockdown. ResultsAlthough class pass rates and marks for online assessments (2020) were significantly higher than for traditional assessments (2019), an essential finding of the study was that the Gaussian distribution of the marks across the class for both modes of assessment was statistically identical. This indicated that although students performed better with home-based online assessments, poor-performing students populated the lower spread of marks, modal students occupied the central distribution, while good students occupied the higher mark distribution of the curve. DiscussionThe students were found to be resilient in adapting to things and learning, online presentations, and computer-based assessments. No gender-based difference or advantage to adjusting to newly introduced blended learning and concomitant changes in learning assessment strategies was found. The online-home-based assessments proved to incentivize prior learning and preparation for assessments by implementing strict time limits or assessments and randomizing the selections of questions and respective (MCQ) answer choices. We conclude that although home-based online assessments significantly improve the overall mark distribution, there was no distinction in the spread of the distribution of marks, which was indicative that the home-based online assessment process was able to provide an identical measure of course proficiency as in the orthodox sit-down assessment. Therefore, our statistical analysis of the performance of students under student assessment performances indicates that there is no rationale for thinking that the home-based online mode of assessment is equivalent to or better than the orthodox modes of assessment.

The gross anatomy course: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic-related effects on students' learning, interest in peer-teaching, and students' perception of its importance.

The COVID-19 pandemic required adjustments and limitations in university teaching, thereby challenging teaching concepts in anatomy requiring in-person contact, including the gross anatomy course. Therefore, the present study investigates the impact of COVID-19-associated adjustments on students' perception of the gross anatomy course's importance and quality, students' preferred learning setting and outcome, and their motivation to involve themselves in academic activities, including becoming a future peer-teacher of the course. Using paper-based questionnaires in Ulm, Germany, 397 (response rate: 82.3%) students of the winter term of 2020/2021 were surveyed using quantitative and qualitative items, which were compared with cohorts prior to the pandemic. Students reported a higher global rating on course quality during COVID-19 (pre-COVID-19: 5.3 ± 0.9, during-COVID-19: 5.6 ± 0.7, p < 0.001; 1 = very bad, 6 = very good). Students' perceived importance of the gross anatomy course showed a small but significant increase (pre-COVID-19: 4.2 ± 0.6, during-COVID-19: 4.3 ± 0.6, p < 0.001; 1 = strongly disagree, 6 = strongly agree). Students' motivation to apply as a peer-teacher remained stable, nevertheless, they reported less interest in transferring their knowledge to junior students. Finally, students reported that they spent significantly more learning time alone and their examination grades remained unchanged during the pandemic. Astonishingly, despite radical changes of the teaching environment due to COVID-19, students appreciate the offered teaching and highly valued the gross anatomy course.

A Proust-like questionnaire for anatomy distance learning: a report on the experience of the 1st year pharmacy undergraduates

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed a shift to virtual education as temporary solution applied as learning strategy. This study was designed to understand the emotional challenges and opinions regarding remote teaching of anatomy on 1st year pharmacy students. A multiple open-ended Proust-like questionnaire was designed. The majority of students (62.6%) appreciated the possibility to attend both the online classes or the recorded lessons at will, while 24.4% enjoyed the possibility to attend the lessons without traveling and in the comfort of their homes. 68% affirmed to take advantage of internet (mainly Google search, You Tube videos as additional tools. Students fear failure of WI-FI connection (59.6%) and the accidental turning on of the camera or microphone (40.4%). The students afford a full day of distance learning relaxed and confident (68.4%), while 31.6% with indolence and lack of motivation. 53% of students would be happier and more interested to face to face classes due to easier interactions with the teacher and companions, but the 42.6% declare any difference between the two teaching modalities. The take home message of this experience is that some aspects of the remote learning may be useful especially for students living far from the University and that for future anatomy education a relevant modification could be the blended mode of teaching in presence and online mode. © 2021 The Authors.